diatom

[ dahy-uh-tuhm, -tom ]

noun

any of numerous microscopic, unicellular, marine or freshwater algae of the phylum Chrysophyta, having cell walls containing silica.

Origin of diatom

1835–45; <New Latin Diatoma originally a genus name, feminine noun based on Greek diátomos cut in two. See dia-, -tome

Words Nearby diatom

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use diatom in a sentence

These ecologically sensitive “salares” nourish cyanobacteria and diatom algae, which in turn are eaten by three types of flamingos, half of the world’s flamingo species.
Lithium mining may be putting some flamingos in Chile at risk | Jake Buehler | March 15, 2022 | Science News
You think of cathedrals falling into their basements after a brutal reformation, the dynamite containing, yes, diatoms—the silicate reliquiae of ocean microorganisms.
The Whale Who Will Come Soon - Issue 105: Whale Songs | Rebecca Giggs | September 8, 2021 | Nautilus
The size of the diatom, the amount of gelatine, and several other factors, will enter into the question of success or failure.
The Diatomaceae of Philadelphia and Vicinity | Charles Sumner Boyer
It is necessary to avoid any air current which will cause the diatom to fall from the thread.
The Diatomaceae of Philadelphia and Vicinity | Charles Sumner Boyer
Thus Pseudocerataulus Kinkeri is a diatom which cannot possibly be seen without the use of a microscope.
The Romance of Plant Life | G. F. Scott Elliot

In fact, the two pass without any sharp boundary into each other, and both present transitions to the diatom ooze.
Report on the Radiolaria Collected by H.M.S. Challenger During the Years 1873-1876, First Part: Porulosa (Spumellaria and Acantharia) | Ernst Haeckel
The diatom itself may be washed in the same way, if it is not too small.
The Diatomaceae of Philadelphia and Vicinity | Charles Sumner Boyer

British Dictionary definitions for diatom

diatom

/ (ˈdaɪətəm, -ˌtɒm) /

noun

any microscopic unicellular alga of the phylum Bacillariophyta, occurring in marine or fresh water singly or in colonies, each cell having a cell wall made of two halves and impregnated with silica: See also diatomite

Origin of diatom

C19: from New Latin Diatoma (genus name), from Greek diatomos cut in two, from diatemnein to cut through, from dia- + temnein to cut

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for diatom

diatom

[ dī′ə-tŏm′ ]

Any of various one-celled aquatic organisms of the class Bacillariophyceae that have hard bivalve shells (called frustules) composed mostly of silica, can perform photosynthesis, and often live in colonies. They make up a large portion of the marine plankton and are an important food source for many aquatic animals. The skeletal remains of diatoms are the main constituent of diatomite.

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